Talk:Rifles
Carbines I think we need a section for them. Also, when we get that, we can get rid of Carbine. Additionally, someone should properly debunk the whole M1A1 Carbine contraversy. — [[User:Philodox|'<<— ''Philodox —>>']] talk 17:15, June 17, 2010 (UTC) The rifle category of the weapons page Just to keep it somewhere Rifles are long guns designed to be fired from the shoulder. The mainstays of armed combat and hunting, rifles are generally considered the best anti-zombie weapons for one simple reason: their long range. A single sharpshooter with one rifle can destroy multiple zombie heads from over one hundred meters away before the zombies even have time to turn around and start walking to his or her position. In addition, it is easy to learn how to aim and fire a rifle, and most rifles allow for the addition of scopes to improve accuracy and range even further (see the sniper rifle section below). Characterized by long-range accuracy and effectiveness, but other factors, such as rate of fire, vary widely depending on the type. Rifles are categorized by the type of loading mechanism (or ''action) they use: *'Bolt-action rifles' are loaded by manual operation of the bolt to eject a spent cartridge from the chamber and load a new one. Bolt-action rifles typically have excellent accuracy a long effective range, and excellent stopping power, are easy to use and maintain, and are very sturdy and reliable. On the other hand, they have a low rate of fire (depending on the kind of bolt-action e.g. "cock on opening" bolt-action rifles like the Mauser 98 have a slow rate of fire while "cock on closing" bolt-action rifles like the Lee-Enfield have a high rate of fire) and a small magazine capacity (typically 3-5 rounds, depending on caliber—although some, like the Lee-Enfield, have as many as ten), and are difficult to maneuver in close quarters due to their size and length. Bolt-action rifles were the standard infantry weapons up until World War II and the Korean War, when they began to be usurped by semi-automatic battle rifles. Bolt-action rifles continue to be popular with civilian shooters to this day, and modern designs are favored by military and police snipers for their superior accuracy. Bolt-action rifles are still used by various governments as a second-line or reserve weapon (as in Canada (the Canadian Rangers), India and Pakistan (as police weapons)) as well as guerrilla forces in various conflicts across the world e.g. Afghanistan, Iraq. For people residing in countries where the legal ownership of semi-automatic center-fire rifles e.g. civilian, ex-military and military-style is heavily restricted and/or banned (e.g. Australia and Great Britain), bolt-action rifles (along with lever-action and pump-action rifles) are the only legal alternative to private citizens. Recommended for use when in a still position. Not for on the move, try and have a back up weapon. If one chooses to use a bolt-action rifle as their main weapon for when they are "on the move", they should consider buying an non-sported, ex-military bolt-action rifle as well as a bayonet for said rifle e.g. Mauser Gew98/Kar98k, Lee-Enfield, Springfield M1903, Mosin-Nagant. According to The Zombie Survival Guide, an ex-military bolt-action rifle is an ideal weapon for dealing with zombies as the rifle can also be used for hand-to-hand combat should the need arise e.g. using the rifle as a club or as a spear/pike when the rifle is fitted with a bayonet. Also, ex-military bolt-action rifles are quicker to reload than commercial bolt-action hunting rifles due to the use of stripper clips/chargers and/or detachable magazines (as with the Lee-Enfield rifle). Bolt-action rifles may have tremendous use in a zombie apocalypse as these are accurate, extremely durable rifles. An average bolt action rifle will fire a heavy full-power rifle cartridge and will most likely be more accurate due to the design of the rifle and the stock and it's non-automatic fire rate. Although the bolt action rifle can pop a G's head at up to 1,000 meters or more, it is recommended to find an auto loading rifle instead of a manual. One advantage of the bolt action rifle would be it's incredible range, durability, and accuracy. For quick reloading, rifles are best accompanied with stripper clips as opposed to have to insert round cartridges individually into the chamber, stripper clips hold the rounds in a stack against the open bolt and are pushed down into the chamber maually making for speedier delivery. Bolt action hold calibers from .22lr to 50cal and do not need much manteinance recomended calibers would ber .22, 17 hmr, .223, 308, 3006, .243 win, .270 win, being common bolt action calibers. *'Lever-action rifles' are loaded by manual operation of a lever located around the trigger guard area (often including the trigger guard itself). While lever-action rifles have long been popular with hunters and sporting shooters, they were not widely accepted by the military. One significant reason for this is that it is more difficult to fire a lever-action from the prone position (compared to a bolt-action rifle). Another is that lever-action rifles typically a slower reload time. another issue with most lever action rifles is that they cannot use spitzer type bullets (bullets with a pointed tip) so they are resricted to non-spitzer type ammunition. *'Lever-action rifles' generally have a significantly higher rate of fire than bolt-actions and a greater magazine capacity (the famous Winchester Model 1873, for example, has a magazine capacity of 15 rounds, and most modern lever-actions hold 6 or 12 rounds). In comparison to a bolt-action rifle, the disadvantages of a lever-action are a somewhat shorter effective range, slightly lower accuracy, and somewhat less stopping power. More practical, novice-friendly rifle options are likely to be available to most riflemen. If one chooses to arm themselves with a lever-action rifle, one should consider one of the more modern lever-action rifles that are on the firearms market e.g. the Marlin Model 336 and Model 1895 series lever-action rifles. *'Pump-action rifles' are a type of rifle that is manually operated by a pump handle at the fore end of the rifle. The most common pump-action rifle on the firearms market today is the Remington Model 7600 and Model 7615 series pump-action rifles and carbines. The Remington 7600 and 7615 series rifles and carbines are popular with recreational hunters and target shooters in both North America (where the Remington 7600 is popular with deer hunters in both the USA and Canada) and Australia (where the firearm laws in Australia prohibit the majority of licensed firearm owners from legally owning semi-automatic long-arms and pump-action shotguns). *'Semi-automatic rifles' are a type of rifle that fires a single bullet each time the trigger is pulled, automatically ejects the spent cartridge, chambers a fresh cartridge from its magazine, and is immediately ready to fire another shot. They may be operated by a number of mechanisms, all of which derive their power from the explosion of the powder in the cartridge that also fires the bullet. A semi-automatic rifle may be originally designed to be semi-automatic (such as the American M1 Garand or Russian SKS), or a civilian version of a military assault rifle design that lacks its fully-automatic fire mode. Semi-automatic rifles were first widely adopted by militaries during WW2, and briefly usurped bolt-action rifles before being replaced with select-fire automatic rifles such as the AK-47 and M14. Considered overall the best rifle. For it being very common, loads of ammo. A semi-auto will most likely litter anywhere where firearms are available ranging from homes to gun shops. Some may be civilian versions of assault rifles (i.e. AR-15), or some may be military-grade semi-autos (i.e. M1 Garand, most M14's, L1A1). These are usually modestly accurate due to the semi-auto nature and is recommended you pick one up if you happen to find one. The advantages of the semi-auto rifle would be it's ability to automatically chamber fresh cartridges, allowing for a fast fire rate, but sacrificing a bit of the reliablity and endurance that a bolt-action rifle possesses. Automatic rifles, also known as "self-loading rifles", "select-fire rifles", or a variety of other terms, are a type of rifle that fire continuously for as long as the trigger is depressed. Automatic rifles were the logical next step from semi-automatic rifles, and automatic and semi-automatic rifle designs generally have a lot in common. Indeed, many semi-automatic rifles on the civilian market are simply semi-automatic-only versions of existing automatic rifle designs. Automatic rifles are divided into two sub-classes (depending mainly on their caliber): battle rifles and assault rifles. *'Battle rifles' utilize full-power rifle cartridges such as 7.62x51mm and can fire in either semi-automatic or fully automatic (the shooter can choose the firing mode with a selector switch), but use in automatic mode is generally discouraged because the recoil soon becomes very difficult to manage and wastes ammunition. Battle rifles are generally heavier and longer than assault rifles, have a somewhat smaller magazine capacity (Most battle rifles have a 20 round magazine, opposed to the assault rifle standard of 30) and another downside is the weight of the large 7.62x51mm ammunition (When the U.S. Army switched from the 7.62 M14 to the 5.56 M16, they found they could carry twice as much ammunition for the same weight). On the upside, the larger caliber means battle rifles are effective at longer ranges than assault rifles, and are more accurate and powerful. For these reasons, battle rifles are currently making something of a resurgence as 'designated marksman rifles' in hot-spots such as Iraq and Afghanistan. Well-known battle rifle designs include the M14, FN FAL and H&K G3. Semi-automatic sniper rifles are often based on battle rifle designs (The Heckler & Koch PSG-1, for example, was developed from the G3). Battle rifles are heavy, accurate guns and are usually powerful. Noting that, battle rifles may or may not be better than assault rifles as some are heavy as 15 pounds with ammunition and some are as long as 40 inches making them rather cumbersome weapons to some, and their increased stopping power is not as useful against zombies, as they are immune to hydrostatic, neurological and psychological shock. Although, if you happen to find one, take it as you may not find an assault rifle or a better battle rifle. Although it is to be noted that battle rifle ammunition is not as common as pistol or assault rifle ammunition. Battle rifles are also better de-facto sniper rifles as their rounds are designed to be used at a longer range. Even the battle rifles that are rugged and poorly cleaned can maintain accuracy up to or over 800 yards. Saying this, battle rifles are best used at ranges of 300 meters or more where assault rifles would be stretched to their limits. *'Assault rifles' are similar to battle rifles, just chambered in lighter calibers such as 7.62x39mm and 5.56x45mm. The lighter ammunition allows assault rifle users to carry more ammunition, and results in somewhat increased magazine capacity (30 rounds is the norm), reduced recoil and reduced weight. The downsides are somewhat reduced accuracy, range and stopping power. Well-known assault rifle designs include the AK-family (the famous AK-47 and its many descendants and knock-offs), the AR-15 family (including the military M16), the FN FNC, the H&K G36 and the Steyr AUG. Due to their combination of decent stopping power, relatively high rate of fire, and good accuracy within the ranges infantry engagements are typically fought at (less than 300 meters), select-fire assault rifles are the standard infantry weapons of armies around the world. Some assault rifles are more accurate at longer distances (Tavaor Assault Rifle and M16 can shoot 700 meters or possibly more. Bullpup rifles are configurations in which the magazine is located behind the trigger mechanism, allowing a longer barrel length with more mobility. However, most modern weapons using this configuration are unreliable, with only a few modern models supplying accuracy, reliablity, and ease of fire comparable to that of a traditional model (a notable example of one of these excellent bullpups being the Steyr AUG, or the British L85A2). Assault rifles are best used at ranges of 300 yards or less, although kills up to 800 meters in some combat reports in Afghanistan are not uncommon. The assault rifles' effective ranges can be extended by special types of ammo, a famous example being the MK262 series of bullets. Regular (not marksman variants) of the AR-15 series of rifles have been known to consistently make kills up to 700 meters. One's choice of rifle depends primarily on availability of both the weapons themselves and their ammunition. Bolt-action and lever-action rifles are simple to use and maintain, but they have a relatively low rate of fire, and a small magazine capacity. Another downside to lever-action rifles is that they can be very hard to find. They are also quite long, which makes them difficult to maneuver in close quarters. Semi-automatic and fully-automatic rifles, on the other hand, have a larger magazine capacity and a much higher rate of fire, but are more complicated (more moving parts = more things to go wrong) and may be more difficult to find (particularly fully-automatic assault rifles, which are illegal for civilian ownership in most parts of the world). But can be easily taken care of. Generally, a self-loading (semi-automatic) rifle with a large capacity (20 rounds or more) is always preferable, as long as these traits aren't at the expense of too much range or accuracy. While it's true that a well-practiced/trained shooter can achieve excellent accuracy with a bolt-action rifle and can also work the bolt very quickly to load the next shot, this takes considerable practice to do reliably, and fledgling shooters may not be able to handle this under the stress of a long siege. If you do choose an automatic rifle, use semi-auto fire, and shoot in bursts. Soldiers are usually trained to fire well-aimed single shots at the enemy. In the full-automatic mode, they are instructed to fire only in short bursts, if at all. This is because, contrary to what action-movies would have you believe, fully-automatic fire is very inefficient and wasteful; Recoil is harder to control during fully-automatic fire, making it more difficult to make accurate shots, so you'll inevitably waste ammunition. The main reason military assault rifles have the fully-automatic option in the first place is so they can be used to lay down suppressing fire if necessary (suppressing fire is shooting in the general direction of the enemy to scare them into keep their heads down, so they won't move or shoot back). Obviously, against zombies, suppressing fire has no value because zombies aren't afraid of being shot, so resist the temptation to 'let it rip' and keep it on semi-automatic. There is a wide variety of common rifle rounds, some of the most popular being the .223 Remington/5.56x45mm NATO, the .30-30 Winchester, the .243 Winchester, the 7.62x39mm Soviet M43, the .270 Winchester, the .303 British, the .30-06 Springfield, and the .308 Winchester/7.62x51mm NATO. Which one you use depends on what is most popular in your area—for example, the .303 British round is more common in the UK, Canada and other Commonwealth nations than it is in the US. Also, one might want to consider having a rifle that fires a pistol round, such as .22 Long Rifle, .357 Magnum, or .45 ACP, as having a pistol and rifle that use the same round can greatly simplify the ammo situation. Optics are recommended for the use of assault rifles. Iron sights provide poor tactical awareness and can obscure peripheral vision, causing the shooter to be blind to potential threats. Red dot sights, such as the M68 Aimpoint are recommended for close range engagements, such as in houses or clearing cities. However, if defending a fixed position, scopes such as the ACOG sight are much more preferable, providing accurate long-range fire, and kills at ranges up to 700 meters. *'Sniper rifles' A sniper rifle is a rifle optimized for accurate, long range shooting. A sniper rifle may be a unique design built specifically for the purpose, a sniper variant of an existing rifle design (the most common), or a hand-picked example of an existing rifle design that has above-average accuracy. In any case, the rifle is usually furnished with a high magnification scope. Since, for a sniper, accurate shot placement is usually more important than rate of fire, most sniper rifles are bolt-action, although there are some semi-automatic models that allow for higher fire rates in exchange for slightly reduced accuracy. A basic sniper rifle is easy to create—you simply attach a scope to a regular rifle. However, a specially-designed sharp shooting weapon will possess greater accuracy and range than a regular scoped rifle, and some are capable of hitting targets from over a mile away, but these sniper rifles are rarely available to the population. A sniper rifle would be an asset in wide open spaces or if used from the safety of a fortification. It is important to note that specialized sniper rifles often do not have long term ruggedness in mind and may be prone to wearing and malfunctioning in a chaotic zombie apocalypse environenment. Although it is not recommended using a specialized sniper rifle on the go, if you find one and have time to take and you have a fortified position, then take it as these are intimidating and at the least, very good at destroying or disabling bandits and whatnot; providing that you can find an operator who could use it to its full potential. Make sure to note that while sniping, one can be vulnerable to attacks from the side or behind. Displacing, or relocating after a shot may be helpful regardless of whether the target was hit. This is a less useful tactic against a zombie swarm. Sniper rifles are tricky to aim at close range, and they are often bulkier than regular rifles. They are recommended for stationary use only. The large, heavy special purpose sniper rifles (i.e. CheyTac M200, Barret ".50 cal" M82 SASR) would have little use in worst scenarios of a zombie apocalypse; but designated marksmen rifles such as the M14 DMR or a SAM-R would be of great use in a zombie apocalypse as these are just like your average assault or battle rifles with a heavier, more accurate barrel and locked on semi-automatic (some are kept on full-auto, but these are hard to come by). *'Carbines' A carbine is essentially a compact equivalent of a rifle (often a variant of an existing rifle design). The smaller size and lighter weight of a carbine makes it easier to carry and manipulate in close quarters than a full-size rifle, although the shorter barrel also limits its accuracy and effective range, while the reduced weight increases the amount of felt recoil. Carbines are generally effective inside a 100 meters or less radius due to their shorter barrels. There are exceptions; the U.S. Army's M4 Carbine is kill-effective and accurate at ranges of up to 550 meters. Good examples of successful carbines are the M1 carbine and the M4 carbines. Carbines come in many forms, manually-operated, semi-automatic or select-fire. Some, such as the Hi-Point 995 and the Beretta Cx4 Storm, are designed to fire pistol rounds, while others are simply shortened rifles. Carbines were originally designed for mounted cavalry units, but later adapted for rear-echelon units and special forces units such as paratroopers. Thanks to their versatility in urban combat, they have been seeing more use among front-line troops. Like rifles, carbines are easy to aim, making them good weapons for those unskilled with firearms. In particular, pistol-caliber carbines have low recoil and make less noise than rifle-caliber weapons, and their use of pistol rounds allows for ammo interchangeability with a handgun. Pistol-caliber carbines have a lot in common with sub-machine guns, so see the section about those below for more information. This also means that you can share ammunition between you side arm and main weapon when using a carbine.